The Executive Download: HR Technology Trends, August 2026
Below is our monthly roundup of key HR technology developments
The SHRM Executive Network sourced the web for the top HR technology news items, and these are what caught our attention. Give these finds a download, so you can upload them into your HR strategy.
1. Managers Are Bringing AI into High-Stakes Workforce Decisions
The Download: AI is increasingly influencing management decisions beyond productivity, with many managers now consulting AI when making layoff and other talent decisions.
A Resume Templates survey found that three in five managers use AI to help determine who gets laid off, underscoring how AI is moving into some of the workplace's most consequential decisions.
The Upload: How is your organization governing the use of AI in employment decisions? As AI becomes more embedded in workforce management, HR leaders should ensure humans remain accountable for high-impact decisions while establishing clear policies around transparency and oversight.
2. AI Is Expanding Jobs Instead of Simply Automating Them
The Download: New research suggests AI is reshaping jobs by allowing employees to perform work that traditionally belonged to other functions, blurring long-standing role boundaries.
OpenAI analyzed more than 800,000 work-related ChatGPT conversations and found that 43.5% of occupation-specific messages are associated with tasks about other occupations, with HR among the top three functions showing the highest levels of task crossover.
The Upload: Are your job architectures keeping pace with how work is actually changing? HR leaders have an opportunity to rethink job design, career paths, and skills development as AI enables employees to take on broader responsibilities across traditional functional lines.
3. Workforce Readiness Is Becoming a Shared CHRO-CIO Priority
The Download: As AI transforms work, workforce readiness is emerging as a business capability that extends beyond HR alone.
New Cornerstone OnDemand research found that organizations where HR and IT collaborate closely are 67% more likely to make workforce decisions at the speed AI requires. Additionally, 94% of IT and HR leaders say a more adaptive, shared approach to workforce planning is necessary.
The Upload: How closely are your HR and IT leaders partnering on AI strategy? Organizations that align technology investments with workforce planning may be better positioned to build the skills, governance, and organizational agility needed for AI-driven change.
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